It's been more than 60 years since Cpl. James Ross went missing during the Korean War. On Tuesday, his legacy lived on through his sister at her Westland home.

Mollie Ross-McMillan received several medals the U.S. Army determined her brother had earned during his military service in the early 1950s. They were presented to her by Army Master Sgt. William Sanderfer. Those awards included the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Korean Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Infantryman Badge and Republic of Korea War Service Medal, among others.

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Mollie Ross-McMillan takes a quiet moment to look over the honors for her late brother, (Photo: Bill Bresler | staff photographer)

"Ms. Ross-McMillan, as a representative of the United State Army, it is my highest privilege to present to you these awards," Sanderfer said, kneeling before her. "Let them be a symbol of the grateful appreciation that our nation feels for the distinguished service rendered to our country and our flag by your brother. May God bless you and may God keep you."

Ross-McMillan, who keeps a display honoring her brother over the door to her home, said the medal presentation was something that took more than a year.

She attended a three-day event in Washington, where she gathered information and contacts for reaching out to see if her brother was due to receive any awards.

"After 50-some years, the army contacted a family member and it was forwarded to me," she said. "A year later, I received a call, stating they had found all the awards."

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James Ross was 18 years old when he went missing during the Korean War.(Photo: Bill Bresler | staff photographer)

It was an event, she said, that sparked great emotion, especially when she looked at a certain medal Sanderfer brought with him.

"I'm breathless," she said. "Chills go over me when I look at the Purple Heart."

She said her brother enrolled in the military when he was 15 and decided he wasn't going to work in the fields of Alabama. He was declared missing when he was 18.

"In that era, he was able to join the service without any questions asked," she said. "He became MIA at 18. He really didn't get to enjoy his life, that's the emotional part of it."

dveselenak@hometownlife.com | 734-678-6728 Twitter: @DavidVeselenak

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The Purple Heart, earned by Cpl. James Ross, missing in action in South Korea.(Photo: Bill Bresler | staff photographer)